Wolf's Rain II: The Hunt for Paradise
by ticklishpaws
Summary: The wolves are at it again! Join Kiba, Tsume, Hige, Blue, Toboe, Cheza, and a few new characters: Naomi the female wolf, who falls for Tsume, Collyn, Naomi's younger brother, and Ricochet, the evil eldest brother, who teams up with Darcia. (NOTE: HARMONA IS NOT ALIVE! SORRY!) Paradise is calling...will you answer the call?
1. Chapter 1

DISCLAIMER: If you have not seen the anime, close out of Fanfiction and go watch it. This won't make a whole lot of sense if you don't have the correct vizualization in your head. Go on, watch it. If you're lazy and don't want to watch all thirty episodes, then **skip the italic part in the first chapter, it will spoil it for you. **

RATED T FOR MILD, COARSE LANGUAGE. But the anime has that amount of bad words in it too, so...yeah...ENJOY!

Wolf's Rain II: The Hunt for Paradise

Chapter 1

_Ten thousand years after the death of the lunar flower and the white wolf. The world has rejuvenated, revitalized itself after the freeze. The journey to seek Paradise has begun once again… _

A flash of white, blinding and foreign against the bland, drab gray of the city. The smog up above collected in the top of the closed dome surrounding the city. The white blur ran from the alleys and corners into the open streets. Then, barely noticeable alongside the unusual white figure, came a camouflaged gray blur with an old scar on its chest. They chased each other up looming concrete stairs onto the top of a scientist's building with ruined walls littering the roof, mere obstacles to these swift enemies. The two wrestled a while, a growling, snarling knot. The gray figure changed, once a precipitate canine, into a young man clothed in ripped black leather. He also carried a small, shimmering metallic dagger in his belt. He was tan and very muscular.

The white blur stopped, now identifiable. It seemed at first a large, furry stray but really was a wolf. The humans were under the Curse of the House of Darcia, wolves deceiving them every day. The white wolf was covered in fresh wounds, blood dripping delicately on the hard concrete, landing with a splatter. Most of the wounds were from the man who carried the dagger, the one who wore black like a motorcycle rider, although he wasn't. He was the leader of a human pack of thieves, an unruly place for a wolf who was expected to carry his pride on his shoulders, but also served as a lame excuse for finding nothing else to do in the midst of the fake, rundown city.

His sunglasses flashed white for a moment, once black, hiding the anticipation to fight in his eyes. They snarled at each other, face to face. The gray-haired stranger was back in his original form: a gray wolf with an old scar standing out on his chest. I poked my head further over the destroyed concrete wall where I was watching. I was a foreigner to this city, coming from a burned forest near Kurios. It had been horrendous, but my family made it out alive. Not long after, a tornado separated me from my pack.

The two wolves were in a dispute, an intense argument about each other.

"That was quite a stunt," the gray wolf said, talking about an earlier blow against a human. He smiled slyly.

"I was protecting myself, that's all," the white wolf growled back, protecting himself from any accusations from anyone, especially the gray wolf.

"Don't be so quick to kill." The gray wolf sounded calm, while the white wolf sounded a bit panicked, fatigued after their chase.

"What's wrong with killing?" probed the white wolf, his mouth ringed in a thin coating of human blood. A droplet fell on the floor, _splat._

"I don't know what mountain you came down from, but you're in the city now. And there are rules." The stranger adjusted himself, putting his weight on his left side.

"Rules?" The white wolf asked. "Is running around this city with a pack of idiots one of those rules?"

They stood there for a second, the white wolf still snarling with vehemence. The gray wolf rolled his eyes and admitted, "I'm only using them."

"Your rules stink like this city! What's the point of living if it means throwing away your pride?" The white wolf objected.

The gray wolf was beginning to get upset. "You've got a big mouth for someone that's half dead."

The advanced, grazing each other with their teeth. Blood splattered violently on the concrete. Below, a scent that had been faint grew stronger. I could feel the energy in the ground, a slow vibration. An instinct jolted my body for a moment, a strong one coated in the scent I had smelled before. The two opposing wolves ignored it and continued fighting.

They snapped and snarled at each other teeth bared. It was a strategic fight; each wolf had obviously had experience fighting.

The gray wolf changed immediately to his human form, the dagger lodged in the white wolf's teeth to stop him from getting any closer. The man kicked the wolf's old wound, scattering blood again. I heard heavy footsteps up the stairs. A boy with curly red hair covered by a cap ran up, wielding a tool, an orange wrench.

"Gehl," the man whispered, annoyed.

The boy saw the man fighting with the false "big dog" his mates pulled out of a hollow tree. He began brandishing the wrench, trying to smash the wolf's skull perhaps, but missed; the lame wolf was much too agile.

The white wolf and the gray wolf exchanged glances of vengeance, each meant, "_We are not done here, maybe next time."_

I hopped out from where I was hiding. Both wolf's faces looked shocked, taken aback by my indiscriminate appearance. My fur, a metallic-looking brown with a black patch on my back extending to my legs, (something a German shepherd might have) was covered in a thin layer of dust. My chest, muzzle, toes, belly and underside of my tail were an eggshell white. I stood there, confidently grinning with slight defiance. The boy screamed, shaking with horror. He began swinging the wrench but I growled and the gray wolf walked to the edge of the stairs where he came. He was backing up slowly, and then he ran off, waving his arms and shouting, "Chen! Sedo! You guys, the big dog is up here!"

The white wolf snarled, the hair on his back rising slowly. The gray wolf, still stood dominantly with his head held high, one yellow eye on me.

"How long have you been here, persecuting us from behind that rotted wall? How did you hide your scent?" The white wolf demanded.

"I have been ambling around this sordid city for three days now, and with nothing to do. I heard growls and smelled blood. I was following you from the point you collapsed in the hollow tree. I waited until you were conscious, and those foul humans were away. I followed you for, a little _excitement_." I smiled deviously, winking.

"Who are you anyway? Where in the hell did you even come from?" asked the gray wolf, still wary of me.

"I've been just about everywhere, wandering around like a tourist." I replied. "And the name? It's Naomi."

"But really, I'm from this old place called Kurios. It was burned down by Jagura's troops a long time ago. I found that out from people on the street." I looked at my feet, remembering the destruction of everything, the frantic wolves, the smell of burnt fur and sadness. I changed the subject.

"What are you guys doing out here anyway?"

The white wolf replied, "Trying to get out of this sickening city. I came here to rest, I'd never stay here." He shot a glance at the gray wolf. "My name is Kiba. I am here for one purpose: to search for Paradise."

I looked at the gray wolf, now standing on his two human legs, arms crossed. I expected for him to give his name. He opened one eye.

"What? Do you assume that I'll just tell you my name?" He spat.

I nodded.

"Why the hell should I tell you?"

"I dunno, maybe because I'm curious. But whatever, sourpuss. Don't tell me then." I hissed. I turned away from him, immediately changing into human form. I wore a black and white striped tank under a button-up cardigan. Skinny jeans covered my tall, lengthy legs. I wore skate shoes on my feet and a white flower in my hair that had a star of purple in the middle. It smelled almost identical with the smell under our paws…

I began to get excited, overwhelmed. Kiba turned to walk away when I stopped him. "Kiba, wait! Kiba, may I…may I join you on your path to Paradise?" He stood for a moment on his three good legs, the other one held above the bloody concrete. Excitement flashed in his yellow eyes. "Sure you can."

I turned around. "You want to come too, tough guy?" His face tightened.

"No."

My expression fell. "Okay then. We're off to Paradise! C'mon Kiba, where do we go next?"

"Into the city. We must at least make it through that dump first." He replied.

We padded off, both in our wolf forms across the top of the building. We left the grouch in the dust, but he didn't seem to mind. After we left, he left.

Kiba and I stopped at an old power disc that had the generator ripped out of it long ago. The water wasn't pristine, in fact tasted a bit like oil from machinery and from a bird's feathers.

I picked my head up and asked Kiba, "What is Paradise anyway? Do you know what it looks like? What it smells like, even?"

"No, I don't." He admitted. "But I do know it's supposed to be beautiful. Its gates are supposed to be opened by wolves and only wolves. Nobles and humans are not permitted to open it. They aren't, well…" His voice faded for a second, thinking of the right words to describe them.

"Clean enough?" I finished.

"Yeah, clean enough. That's what I was looking for."

We padded down the building and into the city. It seemed the people didn't notice even though we were in our wolf forms. A small dog, a pug I believe, began barking at us. We quickened our pace, even with Kiba's injury. I smelled that scent as we got deeper, the flowery one that sent my instincts haywire.

"Can you smell it too? That extravagant flower smell?" I asked.

"Yes, that is what brought me to this city. The Hanabito Flower Maiden must guide us to there. She is the key to Paradise. Before we leave for the promised lands, we must find her." Kiba replied. "Let's go."

We trotted off, Kiba liming all the way. We strolled through town, me leading. I scared up a rat and it ran across Kiba's paw. He jumped.

"Ha, big bad wolf afraid of a little mouse, eh?" I laughed. He smiled, and I did too.

Suddenly, I smelled a musty, evilly familiar scent behind us. I turned around to find a man with a large, tan trench coat on pointing a gun right at Kiba and I. His dog, a seal-colored female who smelled more like a wolf than anything, was charging us. I could run, but Kiba? Not so much.

I ran at the dog, attempting to topple her over, but met her in the middle. We held each other up with brute force, growling like maniacs, her being stronger than I would have thought. Her neck was open, and I lunged at that, but she managed to writhe out of my grasp. She juked, or at least tried, and I caught her again and this time pinned her down. She snarled fiercely, as well as I, and then I heard the sound I was dreading: the gunshot from the ostensible wolf hunter. Kiba fell, in yet another pool of blood.

"Kiba!" I screamed, filling up with fear. Then, the dog moved out of the way and there was a burning sensation in my flank. The breath that still remained in my lungs was forced out, and my vision went black.

To be continued...


	2. Chapter 2

Okay, people who haven't seen the anime CAN read the italicized paragraph this time. :) ENJOY!

**RATED T FOR BLOOD, GORE, AND COARSE LANGUAGE**

Chapter Two

_Deep in a scientist's lab, being held back by steel bars, we were. Pain wracked our exhausted bodies. The flower scent was stronger, but still another wolf scent lingered in the air, a thick foodie smell…_

I sat up fast, like waking up from a nightmare. I took a deep breath, a quick and shallow one. Bars were covering some of my already blurry vision. I was caged. Never had I been caged. So as a response, I panicked. I tried to pry the steel bars with my teeth, but that only resulted in bloody gums.

Before, the flower smell had been nice, calming. Now it felt as if someone had poured perfume in my nostrils. I glanced over at a bloody Kiba. I was going to bark a wakeup call, but then a door creaked open. To my surprise, a wolf, about my age, stood in the hallway, peeking in. In his human form, he was a seventeen- year-old boy with curly golden hair. Average human sweatpants and a short sleeve hoodie over a long sleeve t-shirt was what he wore. But something was different about him: he wore a leather collar around his neck with the number '23' engraved in Japanese on a metal plate.

I dropped to the floor of the cage and sighed. "Thank God you're here."

The wolf looked up from his eyes on Kiba. His eyes widened as he saw me in human form in the cramped cage. He got up from Kiba and was going to walk over to me when two humans walked in, one, a female, holding a clutch purse. I squeezed my eyes shut and returned to wolf form.

"Hey! What are you doing here?" The male human that walked in with the female shouted. He was talking to the boy. "What department are you with?"

The boy was a good liar. "Oh, heh, sorry. I was looking for cleaning supplies. I guess I must have gotten lost."

"The cleaning crew eh?" The man asked suspiciously. "Go out that door, supplies are on the right."

"Oh, are they? Uh, thanks!" Relieved he didn't get caught but still wanting to stick around and chat, the wolf left, walking out the side door with lust.

The male human standing behind the blonde asked, "So, do you really think it's a wolf?" I supposed they were mates.

"I don't know…I've never seen a real one before," she replied, leaning towards Kiba's cage to get a better look. She studied him for a moment. "But if it is a wolf, it may be what is causing this sudden reaction in Cheza."

My ears perked at the sweet sound of that name: Cheza. Perhaps that was what was the Hanabito Maiden destined to lead us to Paradise. The male human, however, rolled his eyes at the name.

"Oh please. Not Cheza _again._"

"What's that supposed to mean?" The blonde asked, standing up and looking at the man with annoyance.

"It was because of her you and I broke up," he explained. So they weren't mates, ex-mates. Odd, wolves stay with their mates forever, unless one of them dies, that is. Maybe human's laws of love were freer than ours.

"Stop acting like an idiot, Hubb, and bring this up to the lab," she snapped. The subject was tender with the female. It was then they noticed me. My eyes had been open this whole time. I guess they had seen the bright glow of my emerald eyes.

"You didn't tell me there were two of them." She walked over to me. I sealed my eyes shut again, although I wanted to see their reaction.

"This one has really pretty markings. It's…" She paused. There was a popping of a knee as she crouched down. "…A female. If she's still alive, maybe we could try to breed her with the canine in the cage over there and study them to see if they really are wolves." My face went hot at this. Thank goodness Kiba wasn't conscious yet. Or was he? I hoped to God he wasn't.

"Or if they're dangerous, we could just take a hair sample and dispose of them. You know, dogs and I don't get along so…" The man trailed off. He sneezed violently. The pair walked out, agreeing on breeding me or something like that.

A few minutes later, the wolf was poking his head out from the supply closet. I knew he'd be back for more. He was smiling.

"Breeding, eh?" He moved his eyebrows up and down.

"Shut up! Get that guy out of his cage you perv!" I growled, face hot.

He walked over to Kiba's cage first, winking at me, signaling that he'd be there in a second. An annoyed rumble sounded in my throat. I rolled my eyes. He blushed a little bit, and began talking to Kiba.

"Man, you really screwed this up. I mean, I've seen one of us get caught before, but never _this_ badly." Kiba was silent, but I knew he was listening.

A few moments later, Kiba told the wolf, "I can get out of here whenever I feel like it."

"Uh huh." The boy said in disbelief. "So why are you even in there?"

"We needed somewhere to rest. We had been shot at by a so-called wolf hunter. He had a dog with him. Blue, I believe he called her. Now do you want to help us out of here or what?" I explained, beginning to get grumpy with the cage and how much space I had in it.

In my human form I tried to sit up, but instead bashed my head on the top of the cage. "Dammit!" I hissed. The kid was in his wolf form, a light brown wolf with tan on his chest, legs and tail. He was pulling on the bars with Kiba.

"I'll be over there in a minute, ugh, babe," he grunted. I rolled my eyes again. I could tell this guy was a ladies man.

'There aren't too many around the city so he enjoys when they are around,' I thought. I figured I cut him some slack. "By the way…unh…I'm Hige."

"Hige…doesn't that mean 'whiskers'?" I asked myself aloud. Realizing this, I countered it with, "I like that. My name's Naomi…nothing special. Just Naomi."

Kiba finally padded out of the cage, and Hige went to work with me on mine. He wanted to talk, make conversation. "We can talk when I get out of here, Hige. It's…not easy to talk when you're trying to break yourself out of…ugh…a cage."

He chuckled. "I like you, Naomi. You're cool."

"Oh please, don't try kissing up to me. I'm not the person that gushes over guys. No offense or anything." I joked.

"Ha, none taken. Step on out, the hole should be big enough." He replied. I squeezed through the small hole in the cage. I shook myself off, and walked over to the doorway in my human form. "Aren't you guys coming?" I asked. Hige looked up.

"Where are you going?" He asked.

"Paradise." Kiba replied. He was now in his human form: A tall boy, about eighteen, with long dark brown hair, going in every direction. He wore a white t-shirt inside a black jacket. He also wore blue jeans, and his eyes were about the same color. He smiled.

"Let's go." He turned around, ready and anxious to get out of the building.

"Wait a second, Kiba." I turned around and stuck out my hand. "Hige! Wanna join us?"

His eyes widened. "Me? Coming with you guys?" He looked at Kiba. He nodded. Hige stood up. "Ah, what the hell. Seems like it would be quite the adventure. I haven't had too much excitement in this city anyway." His hand grabbed onto mine.

Suddenly an alarm went off. Red lights flashed, and somewhere in the distance gunshots were fired. Hige put his arm around me and motioned for us to go. We walked down the hallway past guards and squad men. They didn't even seem to notice us.

When we got outside, the male human, Hubb, and the female, whose name I didn't know yet, were investigating something that had happened. Their eyes watched as we walked past them. Hubb began itching and sneezing.

"Sir, those big dogs…they disappeared!" An officer yelled at Hubb.

"What!?" He and the female ran inside after the man. We walked out, me looking back at the two.

"Your wounds…have they healed?" Hige asked.

"Yes, mine sure have." I replied, messing with a hangnail.

"Yeah, mine have too. After all, it is a full moon tonight." Kiba agreed.

"So why'd you guys come to this lousy town, anyway?" Hige asked. Kiba looked at me, but I told him he could go first.

"I smelled something, the scent of lunar flowers. It's here, in this city."

"Yeah, I know. My sensitive nose can tell if a dog's taking a dump six miles away." Hige replied.

"EW!" I said, wrinkling my nose.

"Yeah, that must really stink." Kiba said. Hige grinned.

"Sure does! Ha, ha!" He laughed. It was silent for a second. "Now you go, Naomi."

"Well, I grew up in this little forest off of the town Kurios. Me and my two brothers and my mother grew up there, all alone. My father was shot by this hunter, much like the one that shot us.

"Anyway, my eldest brother, Ricochet was a big bully. Always throwing me around. But fun at the same time, y'know? So one day, he took me out to 'The Stump' as we called it. We were playing Hide and Go Seek. I was supposed to count. I sat on that log and peeked through my paws like a devilish cheater.

"When I got to twenty-five, I saw Ricochet's hiding place, a berry bush, shake violently. A squeal and a ripping noise came from behind it. Then I saw him: the maroon wolf with blue and yellow eyes, ripping my brother apart. I leaped off of The Stump and crashed through the thorny bush, nettles ripping my pelt. I latched onto the big wolf's leg and popped a vein. He shook me off like an annoying mouse and walked away. My brother lay in a pool of blood with a hole in his neck. He wasn't dead, surprisingly. I carried him back, him being much heavier than me, I collapsed at the den. The next day, he was gone." I wiped at my eyes.

"You don't have to finish if you don't want to. If it hurts, don't open it up." Kiba told me, sitting up now.

"Yeah, if it's painful to talk about, don't talk about it." Hige agreed.

"Okay then. I won't talk about it. Tonight is not the night to be sad. It's a full moon, so I should be fine in a minute." I sniffed, shaking my head. The wind blew my curly brown hair. I sighed.

"I am tired. I don't know about you, but man, I've had one hell of a day!" I exclaimed, curling up in my wolf form. "Night!" I announced, drifting off to sleep.

Next chapter time!


	3. Chapter 3

Paste your docume

Chapter Three

_In the city, a young boy is being persecuted by ravens while trying to eat rubbish scraps out of a tipped-over trash can. He seems skittish, but when a girl offers him sausages, he gladly takes them. I am curious about him. I must know more… _

The night was long and empowering for me. I felt like a battery being recharged, happy dreams of my younger brother Collyn filling my head instead of Ricochet.

When I woke up, I was surprised to find Hige sleeping on top of me, his head on my back and his paws in mine.

"What the hell!? Hige!" I shrieked, kicking him off with my back legs. Kiba laughed, covering his mouth in attempt to hold back. I growled, and snapped, "Shut up, Kiba. If you found Porky here sleeping on your back, I think you'd be mad too."

"Gee, Naomi. You're cold!" Hige joked.

"That's hilarious. So freaking funny I forgot to laugh. I'm going to go grab breakfast." I hissed. "Don't start sleeping on Kiba when I'm gone."

I stormed off, cheeks redder than a ripe tomato. I walked through the city to cool down. I shoved my hands in the pockets of my black cardigan. I snatched two flank steaks from a stand. They were cooked about medium-rare.

As I walked, occasionally looking up at the tasty-looking meat at the butcher, I noticed a little wolf, maybe fourteen in human years. He was digging around in a trash can. Ravens pecked and cawed at him as he snatched up pieces of what looked like rubber. I looked at the "food" in disgust. I wanted to help the little fella. A potato skipped down the flight of steps leading into the alley. When I was advancing to tap him on the shoulder, a little girl about his age walked over to pick up her dropped potato. After that, she fed him sausages, which he warily took. She petted him once, twice, then walked away to join her shouting father.

The scrawny pup still looked hungry, so I changed to my wolf form and yipped. He turned around, tail between his legs. He gasped. "You're…a wolf!"

"Yep! I see you are too. You look like you're hungry. I wanted to invite you to my breakfast table, because that's just what I do." I invited. I smiled a friendly smile. He smiled back.

"Thank you kindly. I'm Toboe, what's your name?" He asked.

"The name's Naomi. I have two friends," I swallowed hard at the word, remembering Hige's friskiness. "And they are at the table too. Want to come?"

I could tell he was about to say "Sure!" but he instead replied, "I have to go find that girl…I wanted to thank her."

"Oh, okay. I'll come with you…if that's alright." I announced.

"Um, alright. She's really nice, and all. But I'm not sure if she'll know you and…well just lay low," he replied.

We were walking through the city streets with our hands in our pockets looking down. Small talk was said, not much. I wanted to ask him some questions about himself, but I figured I would do that later.

Suddenly, a patrolman walked up on us. He looked serious. Another man walked up too. "Excuse me, um―" I began. The man cut me off.

"We need to inspect you. Can you two put your hands up? We need to see if you have any weapons or anything stolen." He said quickly.

This was odd. Why would they be frisking random people? In the distance, I saw a third patrolman frisking a woman and her child. While I was distracted, they snapped handcuffs on me and Toboe. His eyes widened.

"Naomi, what's going on?" he asked. He was afraid; I could see it in his eyes.

"I don't know, but let's get the hell out of here!" I shouted. I wrestled my way out of the patrolman's grip. Toboe kicked the man holding onto him and we ran in our wolf forms. We didn't know exactly where but _away_.

"Shoot them!" I heard one say.

Then the wolf hunter appeared with his dog. "I got 'em," he rasped.

Shots were fired, first at me, and then Toboe. I could hardly run with the handcuffs, but I noticed that Toboe slipped out of his.

"Run in that alley, Toboe! That's where the others are!" I screamed, noticing more people running headfirst at us. He dodged the first patrolman, then the second one. I however, wasn't so lucky. I tripped, and bashed into a patrolman's legs. He fell over, and I couldn't get up. They beat me with sticks and the butts of their guns. I thought it was over. It was then I noticed a figure dressed in all black running towards the scene on the narrow ledge of a building. I squinted and saw it was the sour gray wolf we had met the day before. I howled loudly, and he saw I was in more danger than before. He leaped down the building as the patrolman was grabbing my neck. I snarled and twisted and fought with all I had, but still more hands were closing in on me…breath running out…light fading. Then, amid the crowd of pewter uniforms, black leather appeared.

_Slash, slash, slash._

He had them out of the way in an instant. He grabbed me, now lying broken in human form in the center of the guards. He was running towards the alley Toboe ran into. I blacked out from lack of air and shock.

When I awoke, the gray wolf's face and Hige's face were the first things I saw. I sat up fast, choking and coughing. There was sand from the road in my throat. Toboe came over and poured water into my mouth. I swallowed it painfully and shook my head. We were at the overhang where Kiba, Hige and I slept.

"Danger-prone, aren't you?" Kiba asked, chortling warmly.

"Hmm," I chuckled. "Well look who we have here. Sir Sourpuss."

The gray wolf gave me a stubborn glance. Up close, I saw he had more than a wolf's share of scars. The one on his chest was especially impressive. He had a wonderful shade of hazelnut color skin, and his muscles rippled under it. He was very attractive…those hazel eyes burning into my green ones. My heart fluttered.

"His name is Tsume, and he runs wild with humans. I heard that from the crows and also―" Toboe was saying. Tsume cut him off.

"You heard wrong. I don't do that anymore." He was a bit harsh with the pup, but I didn't say anything.

Hige asked, "I don't mean to be rude or anything, but, uh, did you bring the food?"

"Yeah, I got two flank steaks when there were only two of us, but now there's five. So you guys each get half. I'm not that hungry." I lied.

"Sweet!" Hige was excited. Kiba rolled his eyes.

I handed Hige a steak to split with Kiba, then handed Tsume one. He turned it down. "I already ate. Plus, I wasn't the one who got choked out and handcuffed, which we got off when you were out cold. You have it." He snarled, a hint of kindness in his voice.

"Oh, um, thanks. Here," I handed Toboe half. I was blushing for some reason. I took my steak and walked out, explaining I needed air. It was sprinkling. I sat down outside and took a deep breath, and a bite of steak.

"Wow, really? I know he's attractive to you, but really? You almost humiliated yourself in there! That would have been hilarious!" A boy's voice laughed.

I turned to my right. A younger boy in a hoodie stood there laughing.

"Wha…?" I was embarrassed. "Who the hell are you?"

He lifted up his hood. "It's Collyn, your younger brother." He smiled.

I dropped my steak, and my jaw went down with it. "Collyn?!"

"Yes. It really is me, sis." We hugged, me crying and laughing. He was mostly laughing. "You freaked out!" He exclaimed.

"Come in and meet my friends!" I cried, taking his hand. "I'd like you all to meet Collyn, my younger brother!"

* * *

WOOT WOOT! New character!

* * *

Hige: Naomi n' Tsume sittin in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G! First...

Naomi: *punches Hige* SHUT UPPP!

Hige: *silence as Tsume walks by*

Naomi: *redder than a tomato, and fuming*


	4. Chapter 3 12

I DO NOT OWN WOLF'S RAIN! BONES STUDIO DOES! I OWN MY OC'S! :) ENJOY!

A short little chapter about Tsume's feelings!

Chapter Three (and-a-half): Tsume's POV

_Wandering around, the thieves had ditched me, and I knew a few people who wanted to kill me. Suddenly, distress tainted the air. A female wolf somewhere was in trouble. I pick up the pace, and see the female who was with the white wolf getting her ass handed to her by guards…_

I walked across the building, cursing about those damned humans and how stupid they were. That annoying kid kept haunting my dreams, the one who fell because he couldn't accept that I was different, he kept persisting, and that's what really killed him. I smelled distress suddenly, one of a female. Earlier in my life, I was crazy about them; girls, girls, and more girls. One day, when I was fifteen, I met a wolf named Tsuki. She was sixteen, and I felt grown up dating a girl older than me. We were wild about each other, going everywhere. We held hands and all of that. But one day changed my life forever.

Damn, I remember that day so well.

We were walking in the park, talking, when suddenly, a few shots went off, and she fell to the ground. Blood splattered on the sidewalk, and she screamed, a sad and hopeless scream. She was coughing, choking on her own fear. I ran to her, extending my arms. I looked around, burning with fury at whoever shot her. I looked in her sad green eyes, shining darkly with death. Her petite, bloody hand rested on my cheek.

"Tsuki…you're, you're going to be fine, it's…" I hate to admit it, but I was crying softly.

"Tsume, thank you for everything…and anything I didn't do for you, I'm sorry. But remember, I am not afraid to die. A shot through the heart…doesn't kill me. It's…alright…I will see you…in Paradise…make it there, for me. I love you." She sat up with all of her power and kissed my cheek. Then she lay limp in my arms, my first love.

"No, Tsuki, you have to make it!" I screamed. "Tsuki…"

I promised myself, from that day on, I'd never have a relationship like that ever again. I didn't want anything like that to happen. No, not again. I turned cold, away from my former life and was blinded by humans. Whenever the gang I raided with teased me about relationships, I'd think of Tsuki, and how her beautiful voice lulled me to sleep. I'd punch them and threaten to kill them if they talked like that again.

Two years later, I got the scar on my chest, and two more years later and you're here, with me running across the top of a building, telling my story. I looked back down at the mess below in the market streets.

That girl, the one with the acclaimed 'Kiba, the Paradise Hunter' was on the ground, being picked up by her neck. She was being beaten with sticks and bruises covered her body already. She growled and kicked and bit on the man's hand, but still he held her there. She struggled, and I knew if she broke loose, she would hurt someone. Her eyes when she turned towards me were the same striking green as Tsuki's, as I noticed when I first met her. I gasped as she howled, and it rang through my ears. So powerful…

I leaped down and kicked the man holding her. She was gasping for air, and I realized I needed to just carry her away. I grabbed her in my arms and ran to the alley where her scent was last. The pewter suits followed, but eventually gave up.

She was beautiful, a gem. Other wolves were in the alley, a young boy, two teenagers, and, well, me and the woman. I looked at her body, although bruised, a beautiful sculpted one. She had some muscles for a female, spectacular biceps.

I couldn't let on that I thought this about her. No way, I'd have to bully them out of thinking that.

When she awoke, she was choking, and the kid, Toboe, gave her some rainwater. She looked around, and she looked dazed. She knew who I was right away. She called me Sir Sourpuss. The kid was saying that I ran with humans, which I sort of did. But the way he said it was as if I lived with them, and I didn't. I was starving, but I could tell she was more. She blushed when I handed it to her, and she went outside for some air.

I think she likes me too.


	5. Chapter 4

A short little chapter I lazily wrote :)

**I DO NOT OWN WOLF'S RAIN. BONES STUDIO DOES.**

Chapter Four

_In the overhang, Collyn and I talk, converse with everyone about Paradise and our past and memories. Toboe and Collyn played rock paper scissors in the corner. The flowery vibe suddenly sends chills through our bodies. Fire haunts my dreams and vivid images of a faraway Paradise flash through as well…_

We laugh, and share history, while rain drums on the steel roof of the overhang. The pull of the flower was weaker; my wounds had been healed, thus, they weren't bleeding anymore. I sat on the floor with my knee pulled up against my chest. My other leg just lay on the floor, twitching every few minutes.

Frequently, there was a random break in conversation, a moment of quiet, and I just thought about life. I evicted myself from conversation for a moment. After a while my eyes drooped and Hige noticed this.

"I see you over there, sleepyhead!" He pointed at the string of drool coming from my jowl. Everyone laughed, him being the loudest. I snarled at him and padded forwards. I put a paw lightly on his ribcage.

"I have two words for you: shut and up," I growled angrily.

"But that's three words!" He was still pulsating with laughter. I felt two big hands on my fuzzy shoulders. My growling was cut short. I turned to see Tsume smiling subtly down on me.

"Easy, tiger," he laughed. I playfully frowned, and stepped off of Hige.

After that was settled, I curled up in my wolf form under a pipe dispensing hot water to the city. It warmed my back, and eased my aches and bruises. Before anyone stopped me, I closed my eyes and fell into a deep, long-needed rest.

My claws dug into the rocky earth, my muscles pumping as I ran across the outlawed mountains. I was just Toboe's age, and three deep, fresh gashes, bleeding and foul showed across my thigh and one large scar across my eye, leaving my fur bloodstained and grisly. I stopped at the peak of a grassy hill. I collapsed there, and waited for death. Breath that coursed through my lungs was raspy and labored. I opened my eyes, and before me grew a lunar flower, so comforting and calming.

Then, blinded by the white flower, I felt a heavy paw on my back, hot and burning. I yelped, and twisted my head around to see that sinful maroon wolf with the bicolored eyes, the dreadful yellow and blue staring through my soul.

"Spare me…please…" I choked, for he stood on my throat.

"Why? Is there a reason not to kill you along with everyone else you hold dear? That is what happened to my Harmona. She is barely on her last breath, and you are asking me to spare you?" He croaked, foam cornering his lips. "No. I won't." He put all of his weight on my neck. Black closed in on my eyes…the white light of Paradise…fields of white and purple lunar flowers…

Something inside me snapped. I kicked out with my back legs, and launched the wolf off of me. I stood up, in pain, and still burning. My paws caught fire as I grew to my current age, howling in anger, the flames lapping at my face and chin. I stood before the wolf, and growled fiercely in his face. I bit his throat, foreign blood spraying in my face. He was burning in flames under my paws, and I let him burn. He burned my forest, my home. I burn his life. He let out one last bloodcurdling scream, and he disintegrated to ash. Only his ethereal eyes remained, staring blankly up. As I stepped off of him, my paws went out and I was left standing in a field of burning lunar flowers, that perfume smell flowing through my nostrils, but this time burnt.

I woke up with a start. That dream…it was so real…

I suddenly felt a hot burning sensation on my flank. I hopped out from under the hot water pipe. I looked at my singed fur. "That's what made me feel so hot," I whispered.

The moon shone coldly in through a hole in the dome. I padded over to the where it shone in and looked up. It was waning tonight, a mere crescent in the uninviting black night. I gazed on over the dark city. _Artificial,_ I thought. _These people are under the noble's trance, living in a fake city._

I suddenly felt a pang of anger. "Damn nobles," a growl sounded from behind me.

It was Tsume, walking up from behind me. "You read my mind." I said.

"Isn't that what every wolf is thinking?" he asked, sitting down beside curled his tail around his paws and shivered mildly.

"I guess so. Unless they're still under the trance, that is." I replied, happy to have company. I changed to my human form, and hugged my knees in an attempt to stay warm.

"Cold much?" Tsume joked, prodding my arm. I smiled and looked up again at the faint moonlight. My long, blonde-brown curls fell over my eyes. Tsume's hand fell on my face and lightly brushed away my bang. My face turned hot.

"Erm…thanks…" I stammered, lightly touching his hand. It was warm, and I held it for a second. Then I coyly let go, and stood up. "I'm going to, uh…go back to sleep."

"Alright." Tsume replied, laying his head in his hands and looking out the window. I lay back down, this time near the hot water pipe. I slept a dreamless sleep for the rest of that night. Toboe woke me up at dawn.

"Hey, Naomi…food's ready." He smiled and his brownish red eyes glowing. I sat up quickly and joined the group. Hige smiled a big cheesy grin and winked. I gave him a dirty look, a sort of twisted straight face.

Kiba announced that we were going to leave to look for that flower maiden after our meal. I agreed and went to go get ready, wash off my face and straighten up my hair. I pulled out a petal from under a rock. It was old and tattered. I smelled it, and it smelled identical to the flowery scent that brought me here. I took it in my jaws and padded over to Kiba.

"What's that…" he started cautiously. Then he took it from me and smelled it. "Cheza…" he whispered. His eyes glittered, a familiar spark of determination I saw when I first met him. He took off running out the door, with the petal between his teeth. "Kiba!" Toboe shouted after him.

"It's no use, kid. He's was too airheaded to even hear you," Hige replied. He gave Toboe a noogie that ended up with his hair all out of place.

"Well I'm going to go find him. If anyone wants to come, you're welcome to," he confidently decided.

So we all followed with no other choice. If that was how my morning was going to start, following a driven, green-thumbed, psychopathic wolf, then so be it.

Later in the city, we passed that blonde human who was in the lab. She was talking with one of her co-workers. "Cheza is no longer at the lab, Cher?" the brunette asked with curiosity.

Cher. I'd have to remember that.

"No, a man stole her just last week. I'm not even supposed to be out of the hospital yet." She replied, messing with a very ugly scarf concealing a book in her pocket.

"Don't pull that out! They might see it!" the brunette hissed, putting her hand on the book, the title now visible: _The Book of the Moon._

A lunar flower was engraved on the front, and painted an old golden color. It was worn, tattered from wear and tear over the years, the threads of brown string hanging off the edges. Cher shoved it in her coat pocket.

I felt a yank on my arm and I realized I had stopped in the crowd and stared at the two lab partners. It was Hige who grabbed me, and a little hard. My neck jerked and cracked.

"Dammit, Hige! Not so hard!" I growled.

"Sorry! The nobles were going to notice…you were staring…I was afraid you'd start drooling again!" He chuckled. "C'mon!

I scowled again. He was beginning to get on my nerves. And then we saw his ship and smelled her scent. That noble was following us, watching us from the sky. There was a laser shot. Then Kiba fell to the floor and his eyes rolled in the back of his head.

"God, not again!" I howled.


	6. Chapter 5

**I DO NOT OWN WOLF'S RAIN! BONES STUDIO DOES!**

**Sutoraipu means 'Stripes' in Japanese, by the way. :) ENJOY!**

Chapter 5

_Abducted, snatched by the rays of the wicked noble dubbed Darcia, part of the non-wolf triangle of Jagura, Orkham, and him, but his history of family hadn't reigned in over one-hundred years. Was he seeking Paradise as well?_

"Kiba! Oh crap...what now?!" I was panicked, and the worst part was that all of this was going down in the middle of the street.

Kiba didn't answer, his normally blue eyes now white and veins crawled up the white like ivy. The ancient lunar flower petal lay in his hand, still gripped tightly.

I suddenly felt a laser on my back, the striking pain sending hot and cold chills up the side of my spleen. I let out a breathless yelp and fell to the floor of the cobblestone street, in front of about twenty onlookers. I was still conscious, but all I could see was white. I felt it when I was lifted up by two hands and a set of teeth dug into my neck scruff. I also felt when I was levitated through the air and out of the scarred arms of Tsume. I heard them scream Kiba and my name, but I never saw any of it. Then, my sight went from white to red to black, and then I saw a glimpse of Hell. A dark, demonic place, and in the midst, a man with bicolored eyes stood in the middle holding a woman's hand. She was chained and had long, greenish hair that touched the floor. Her mouth was wrapped, her dress torn. She was a good soul; I could see it in her whimsical purple eyes. She was crying as I just stood there, peering out from the air.

"Shut up, Harmona! I cured you, now you will help me kill this wolf. She was the same breed of nightmare that gave me the curse in the first place! Now kill it! The book says an innocent person must do it or..." He hissed, yanking her chain. She stifled a yelp.

Then it went black and I fell into a trance. My memory was wiped.

A few hours later, I saw a very odd looking man standing on the ground. I felt a strain in my wrists and ankles. I was being suspended in the air, and so was a boy next to me. I felt like I had seen him before. I cocked my head. As I try to remember, voices in my head yell out my name. One of a young wolf, another of a strong, rough and tough male wolf, and a third of a gentler male wolf, whose voice was thick with boyish charm.

"Remember? I'm Toboe!" The voice was calling. "And that's Tsume, and Hige! Kiba is supposed to be with you too!" The kid's voice was familiar. And those names…

I associated names with faces, and faces with voices. My eyes flew open.

Then I realize it. I am locked into Darcia's trance; the one Tsume was talking about the night before. I pulled on my chains, and felt a heavy one on my neck. I gasped for air, for the spiked collar around my thick wolf neck was much too small.

"Ah, ah, ah! Don't struggle, she-wolf. It will only make your situation worse." Darcia croaked, much like a rat.

I felt an electric shock ripple through my skin, jolting me. I let out a cry of both terror and pain. I recognized the woman who was attached to lifesaving IV tubes. She dangled gracefully in the air, and her green hair hung over her whole body it was so long.

"What is it that you want from us?" I asked, being choked by the twenty pound chain. It yanked on my neck.

"Wolf's blood, of both male and female, pure wolf blood," replied Darcia, wringing his long white hands together. "I need it to awaken the Flower Maiden, so my Harmona will also awaken. And might as well attempt to open up Paradise as well!" He laughed a horribly maniacal laugh.

"What the hell do you want with Paradise? Only wolves belong there!" I protested, my muscles tensing. Darcia pulled a red lever and shocked me again. I screeched, my forelegs being stretched places where I didn't want then to be stretched, and the chain was tighter on my thick neck, all the while, electrical shock was running up and down my body, inside and out.

"I want Paradise because I want to teach you wolves a lesson. Not for a future. Not because I want to help all of my other noble friends as you wolves do. I want it for revenge, to redeem the passion of my grandfather," growled Darcia scornfully. I heard a groan beside me and saw Kiba awakening.

"Kiba! Come on, wake up, I don't want to be stuck on this psychopath's airship anymore!" I began to fight against the electrical waves, but Kiba only stared at me.

"Excuse me; miss, might I ask what you are doing?" Kiba asked politely. I stopped and blankly stared at him. He was zapped, and bad.

"It's Naomi, can't you remember me? And Tsume, Hige and Toboe? We're trying to find Paradise, remember?" I frantically asked, still trying to get out of my chain.

"No…where am I?" He asked, the morale in his eyes fading. He didn't even smell like a wolf anymore. This was bad; he was the one destined to open Paradise, and he didn't even know what it was!

"Do you remember Cheza?" I probed the last tactic I had. "You know, Kiba. I know you know…" I was beginning to tear up in frustration. "You are a wolf. I am a wolf, and so are Tsume, Toboe and Hige. Remember that you are a wolf, please, just…" I suddenly was dropped from my chain. Darcia was turned around, talking to his assistant.

I looked behind me to find a curious little brown cat with black stripes. He looked at me with big, round yellow eyes. "Thanks!" I hissed. Then, the cat turned into a young boy. He had spiky hair and he was wearing a greenish jacket and bleached skinny jeans.

He had a tooth sticking out of his mouth and yellow eyes as a human also. He wore a cap with little faux fur cat ears attached to the top. He looked about thirteen.

Darcia spun around as the cat was undoing Kiba's chains. His eyes widened at the sight of the boy, and me standing up with broken chains hanging from my arms. I held Darcia's glare strongly, curling my lip and growling softly.

"Just because you are out of your chains does not mean I cannot kill you." Darcia cackled. He drew his sword from the place in his jacket and pointed it straight at me. The boy was standing there, in awe.

"What, cat boy? Were you the little snitch who freed this wolf?"

"The kid isn't in this fight, noble. Leave him out of it," I defended the boy, now in my wolf form, poised to strike. Suddenly, Darcia pulled a pistol from his coat pocket and pointed it at the boy.

"Watch out!" I screamed. The boy turned, and as I was jumping to throw Darcia off, he fired. The shot rang through the airship, bouncing off of the high walls and off of the hard floor. The bullet flew through the air, in slow motion it seemed, and then penetrated the cat's shoulder. He yowled, falling to the floor.

I closed in on Darcia's arm, but then let go immediately. I raced over to the boy. He lay curled up on the floor, clutching his shoulder. I picked him up, for he was very light, and sat him up.

"Sutoraipu…is my name…" the boy muttered, clenching his little sharp teeth in pain. He looked into my eyes longingly; I was lucky to have life.

"It's going to be fine…I'm going to take care of you…" I was tearing up for the second time today. I put my hand on his bloody shoulder. "You seem like a very strong person, Sutoraipu. I know you can make it."

"No, I'll be fine. I want to see my father and mother again anyway…I miss them so. My father…died when I was only a kit. My mother was hit by a car a few years later. I was…alone." He coughed, and his eyes closed slowly.

"No!" I wailed. "Stay alive, I'll get help…Sutoraipu…"

"His eyes flipped open for a moment more. His face was serious, as well as his tone. "No. Do not save me. I need to die; I need to see my family. It…is where I truly belong. Not on this…noble's airship. Let me go, she-wolf. But before I leave, tell me your name." Sutoraipu whispered.

"Naomi…I'm Naomi. I'm looking for Paradise with my friends. Kiba, up there, can't remember anything. He is the key to Paradise, and if…" I started.

The boy's eyes closed and he was smiling faintly. I wiped my eyes and set him down. "Find Paradise, young one. Find it, and find your true life purpose. I know we are different species, but Paradise is all the same. A place where we truly belong, with plentiful food, water and sunlight. Find your Paradise, Sutoraipu."

I bent over him and nuzzled his whiskers gently.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

_Sutoraipu had found his Paradise, and his family. Darcia still stood with his long sword in his hands. Hatred and fury burned in my paws and throat. I wished that I really could control fire and burn him to ashes…_

I turned away from Sutoraipu with anger burning in my lungs. I ran angrily at Darcia, teeth bared. He was unprepared, and I caught his neck in my teeth. I took him to the floor, and growled fiercely in his face. Kiba watched from his place in the air, dazed and half asleep, probably from all of the sleep drugs Darcia pumped into him.

"You…bastard! I cannot believe you…your malevolent self, murderous pile of…" I growled, anger building up in me so bad I couldn't even speak. Darcia grabbed my neck fur and hoisted me up. I turned and sank my teeth into his wrist, blood spewing in my face. I was growling as I bit harder, and finally, Darcia threw me off. I landed on the cold floor, creating cracks in the tile underneath me. I bunched up my muscles and spun around in anger and charged at Darcia again. I caught his leg and over turned him, but in midair his sword caught my hind leg and it punctured my muscle. I cried out in pain, and fell to the floor once again. I felt Cheza's scream wrack my body. It made me wince just a bit.

"Tired yet, she-wolf?" Darcia tried to hide his own panting, but it showed through a little bit. I gulped dry air and swallowed hard.

"We could just avoid this if you'd just give me Kiba. We need him more than you do, and frankly, I think we deserve him more than you. Fix him, noble, or so help me..." I wheezed, not thinking of anything else to say.

"So help you what? Your pathetic excuse doesn't even begin to stack up with mine. You are the bloodthirsty beast that made me this way. My power is far greater than you ever thought you may be." Darcia graveled, disheveling the battle for a moment. "My wolf's eye throbs at the scent and presence of the maiden, which you and I treat like a deity. But I pity you, and your sadistic lifestyle...and I somehow feel the rift of instinct that Paradise has on me. My eye feels it, the pull of it but...for what? To live the low life of a wolf? I think not. This maiden is truly mine, my creation. Have any other pathetic spits for me, wolf?"

The noble's voice was calmer now, more confident. I scowled at his ability to sound so important.

"Cheza may be your creation, but she would choose us over you any day. I know you can see that, Darcia. Cheza does not want to be with you. I know that." I said, regaining my patience.

"How would you know? You have not even met Cheza, much less saw her." Darcia defended, standing up tall.

"And who the hell says we won't?" asked a very familiar voice. Kiba was awake and back to normal.

"Kiba!" I gasped aloud. He turned to look at me and smiled. I glanced over quickly at Sutoraipu, instinctively. My heart burned again, but not for long.

"Damn wolf..." Darcia growled.

Kiba attempted to get out of his chains. Darcia looked back at his precious Harmona hanging from the ceiling, and snake eyed me, his sword just flying over my head. I held my breath and spun around.

"We are over the scientist's lab, Lord Darcia," a small voice said. It came from the little female noble.

Darcia turned towards her. "Good. Now let me finish this."

He activated a laser with the flip of a switch. It struck out angrily, its red hot light singeing my paws. I backed up yelping. Kiba wrested out of the chains. He fell to the floor and the chains clattered on contact. The laser fired yet again and it was then I felt the buffeting of the airship. Kiba was running to meet me, but got shot out of the sky. He was flung out of the airship, screaming out horribly.

"Kiba!" I cried, poking my nose out of the hatch. I heard Darcia's footsteps and spun around, but too late. His boot pressed forcefully on my back, and shoved me out of the hatch. My paws scratched the lip of the opening. My paws slipped, and I fell the same way Kiba did: screaming out horribly, and the wind buffeting my fur. I gazed upwards as I fell, at Darcia, smiling down at me as I plummeted to my death. I twisted my body in midair and spotted the House of Darcia's abandoned fountain pool. I last-second changed into my human form and hugged my knees, bracing for impact. I fell into the crystal water, sinking down many feet. It was very deep, surprisingly. Air bubbles rose from my nose and popped on the surface. As I broke the surface wheezing for air, I spotted a wolf's body at the bottom. I gasped and descended downwards.

As I got closer, I found that it was only the destructed statue of a wolf…it was just imaginary. I looked at it for a moment and swam up to the surface. I panted and inhaled deeply. I swam to the edge of the pool and climbed out. I shook myself dry and called out Kiba's name.

He could be anywhere. His body could be smeared all over the forest by now. I trotted a little faster into the woods, and, still soaking wet, howled loudly. It was long and loud; I hoped he would hear it. I stood for a moment, my ears perked up, hoping for something. Only the dull hover of the airship in the distance and the bird's cries filled the silence. I put my head down and tried to smell him, his trail. I suddenly picked something up, a foxlike scent…


	8. Chapter 6 12

New Character! Twiles and I created Kawaii (LOL I RHYMED) and just a head's up, every 3 chapters there will be a POV of someone different.

I don't own Wolf's Rain Bones Studio does. And thank you guys that favorited and stuff! It means a lot and keeps me motivated. :) Enjoy!

Don't forget to review, also. I'll stop nagging and let you read now.

* * *

Chapter 6 (and-a-half): Kawaii's POV

_The white wolf wasn't too badly injured; the tree had mildly broken his fall. I was much too small to do anything, and besides, I didn't know how. My ears went up suddenly as a wolf's howl pierced the silence. I wished I could howl…_

My family had all been foxes. I was only one-third wolf, and that came from my grandfather. I was cursed as a kit; though I am part wolf, I cannot howl. I wish I could, to feel the raw emotion my wolf inside feels. The other downside is that I am very small. While most female wolves weigh fifty to seventy-five pounds, I only weigh about thirty.

I am not ashamed to be a fox, don't get me wrong.

I just…want to be a wolf. To be able to have more authority. To howl.

I looked down at the big white wolf with the scratches and scars. I didn't know that to do. I had just been eating my daily meal when a wolf fell out of the sky and fell right through a tree. He knocked himself unconscious on a rock.

I chuckled as I recited it in my head. It sounded like a child's lie, what my sister Red would have told me. I looked down at him again, and hoped to Vulpes he'd wake up.

Suddenly, a sharp howl perforated the stillness. I felt pleased to hear the howl, but that twisted wave on sadness and envy washed over me again. I felt as if a rock were pushing my soul down. I dropped my ears and a tear rolled down my face. I couldn't even read what the howl meant.

"I'm just a good for nothing runt. I don't know why anyone would value me so much even to look," I breathed, choked up and miserable. I glanced down at the two rings around my right leg. Their gold-bronze shine was deteriorated, rusty. "But she loved me."

The woman with the long green hair, Harmona, had loved me so. She treated me so well, she was so kind. I missed the touch of her hand on my fur. We would talk and laugh. But then she met the dark man, the one I could feel was dangerous. The one with the eye patch, and the navy blue hair. He loved her, and she loved him. I disliked him very much, but when they began intensively dating, he forced me out, said I looked too much like a wolf, a beast. Then he had clutched his eye in anger. I then weakened when I learned Harmona was in a deadly coma in which she would probably never wake up from.

Harmona had found me with my sister Red in a hollow log. We were alone; our mother had been gone for hours. She had picked me up and taken me home; Red had dashed off, being so afraid of humans. She snapped two of her thick golden earrings that she had modified on my paw as a token of happiness. She kept me as a pet, she loved me. Jagura, her sister, had bullied me, and called me runt. She kicked me around and was abusive. Jagura was a lot more visceral than Harmona. I was alone for two years and had been starving. I couldn't howl, on nights when the moon was full and in its glory, I heard them: wolves, howling in all of their worship. I had lowered my head and gone far in the woods where the moon's cold light didn't touch. I was depressed, and unaided for a long time. Then I decided to move to Darcia's forest, which was untouched. Then the wolf had fallen from the sky.

I heard footsteps, heavy ones as I snapped back to reality. They crunched twigs and leaves. A brown she wolf with black and white markings stepped into the clearing. She was heavily built, and muscular. She had lengthy legs and a puzzled mug shot.

"I…I-I can explain," I stammered as I backed nervously away from the wolf. "You see, he fell…out of the sky and…he was knocked unconscious and…I am sorry, please understand, don't hurt me… " I was shaking.

"I'm not mad at you. And I'm not going to rip you apart. I'm Naomi, and that's Kiba," she laughed. "We are looking for Paradise. Now the important question, is he dead?"

"No, he's still breathing. I think he needs some water to the face." I replied, steadying myself. The wolf changed forms, into a tall human with long, curly, chocolate colored hair. She wore a black and white striped tank top under a black cardigan. Skate shoes covered her feet. I was shocked!

"Whoa!" I breathed.

"What? Can't you do that too?" she asked, like it was normal.

"No. I'm not even full wolf, so…" I mumbled, shaking away the sad clouds.

"Well I'll show you. First, imagine that you have no fur. I know it's awkward, but trust me," She instructed. "Then wiggle your paws. Imagine that you can grab stuff with them. And lastly, imagine standing up very tall and stretching your back."

I did everything, and it was very awkward. Then suddenly, I was a human! I looked at my naked hands, and where my paws were supposed to be. Leather boots covered these, and I wore a sort of sweater dress. It was orange. Dark jeans covered my short legs. I looked at my right arm and the little bangles were still there. Naomi noticed me looking at them.

"Hey! I know someone who has silver ones!" she picked up my hand and looked at the wristlets with curiosity. "Do you know Toboe?"

I looked at her, confused. "No."

"Oh. Well I think you'd like him, he's really cool. He's a wolf too!" She was really excited. "Hey, do you want to see what your face looks like?"

"Sure…" I replied. She took my arm and we raced back through the woods to go get Kiba water, and to look at my face. I gazed into the water. I had a human face! I jumped back, and touched it with my hands. Naomi was collecting water in a big leaf. I looked into the water again, and saw the auburn locks curling down past my armpits. A flowery headband held this together, and I had two different colored eyes, like in my fox form. Freckled dotted my face like red peppercorns.

"I'm Kawaii." I breathed. Naomi looked up.

"That's a really pretty name. You look great." She complimented.

"Thanks. Do you need help with that leaf?" I offered.

"No, I've got it. Thanks though."

"Can I come with you to Paradise?" I blurted.

Naomi looked at me with a grin. "Be prepared for the journey of a lifetime."


	9. Chapter 7

PACK MEMBERS, REUNITE!

I don't own Wolf's Rain Bones Studio.

Chapter 7

_The fox girl followed me into the woods. Kiba woke up, and I introduced everyone. Kiba and I picked up a scent trail of the pack. When we returned, horrible news was waiting for us: Collyn was gone._

When we arrived back in the Cemetery of the House of Darcia, I knew all about Kawaii's story. She had been Harmona's pet, and Darcia had kicked her out. I snarled at the name Darcia. He had gotten away alive and probably had Cheza. Kiba wasn't going to give up hope. As we crossed the hill, the sun was setting and I spotted all three wolves walking in a circle. I began to run, and I barked a warning. I jumped into Tsume's large arms and hugged him tight. We laughed and we so happy to see each other again. He was shocked at first, but softened. As I got down, I gave Hige a hug (and a noogie) and I introduced Kawaii to Toboe.

Kiba and the boys formally reunited. They didn't have much news, other than a jaw-dropping discovery: Collyn was missing.

They had been sleeping under an oak tree when Collyn was on patrol. A yelp had sounded and Hige had gotten up to see what had happened. There was blood, and Collyn's fur was caught on the branches of a thorn bush. Hige had immediately looked around, and the only scent there was the one of the hunter's dog. But what puzzled me is that they were in another city. I knew that because Kiba had spotted them in Freeze City as we were walking home. This was confusing.

We all dropped the news and decided to pursue it tomorrow. Kawaii was introduced, and I stopped Tsume from calling her a runt. I threatened to rip his arm off, but he knew I'd never try. Toboe and Kawaii bonded almost immediately. Toboe told her that he'd teach her how to howl, which I thought was very sweet.

I curled up beside a rock, sandwiched between Tsume and Toboe. I looked at the moon one last time before my eyes closed and I prayed we'd find Collyn soon.

Kawaii, Kiba and I were the ones who slept the longest. I was glad everyone let us sleep; we needed it. I volunteered to go 'catch prey' when I awoke. Kawaii offered to come with me while the rest hung back. As I walked away, I swore I heard Hige whisper to Tsume, "Dude, she's so hot."

I reddened and kept walking. I didn't want to see if Tsume agreed. I wouldn't mind at all if he did, but if he didn't I think I'd have been mad.

"How are we going to find prey in this place?" Kawaii asked.

"Well, you see―" I started. Then, Kawaii dropped into an expert crouch in her fox form and walked slowly toward an innocent pigeon pecking at a potato chip. I started to say something, but I decided to let her be. The sun was just rising behind me, so nobody was in the park. I glanced to my right, and then heard a large squabbling. I focused my attention on Kawaii and the bird again, and she was delivering the kill blow. She easily, almost expertly, snapped its small neck and carried it over to me.

"Wow, Kawaii that was great! I haven't had wild meat in a long time since I've been in this dome." I complimented.

"Oh, no, that was bad. I should have been aware of the shadows."

"Come on," I said. "Credit yourself more, kid. That was amazing for your age. I'll bet Toboe or even Hige couldn't do that. You're thirteen and you did that like a pro!"

She looked at her little black paws and blushed.

"I guess that was alright." She admitted. I smiled, glad she was taking this well.

"Now _I_ have to catch something!" I laughed.

She looked up and slowly changed into her human form.

"My method of catching is a little different though." I replied as I picked up the bird and stashed it in my coat pocket.

I led her into the city to a hot dog cart. "Hige taught me this maneuver."

I swiped three hot dogs and instructed Kawaii to take them. She grabbed them hastily and I walked by the butcher and grabbed a hunk of pig meat. I winked at her and she smiled.

We walked beck out of the city, the sun now halfway up in the sky. The boys were talking and I saw Tsume roll his hazel eyes. It was then I knew they were talking about Cheza.

"I have hot dogs and some pig meat. And guess what?" I interrupted. "Kawaii caught herself a bird to eat, and her attack method is flawless. She's a great addition to the pack." She blushed and held up the bird.

"Man that looks delicious! I haven't had―" Hige began.

"No, she's eating it." I got close to Hige's greedy face. "Alone. If you want bird, go catch it yourself, Porky."

"Geez, as soon as you get back, you're knocking me back down to omega." Hige complained.

"Yep." I agreed, winking. That got a chuckle, even out of Kiba.

Tsume and I split the pig, while obviously Kawaii enjoyed her bird. Kiba, Hige and Toboe had the hot dogs.

I waited until Tsume was out of earshot when I walked over to Toboe and whispered, "Did Tsume miss me when I was gone?"

Toboe looked over at me and grinned. He cupped his hand and said, "Yeah, he did. He was worried, and I could see it. He kept running his fingers through his hair and getting all mad."

I smiled and a fountain of joy overflowed in my heart. "Thanks." I replied.

"No problem," Toboe laughed through a mouthful of meat.

After I finished the pig, I asked Kiba if we were going to move on. He solemnly nodded and replied, "We're moving through the night. Cheza is not located in the heart of the House of Darcia. The only way to get back there is to cut through the Forest of Death.

"Th-The Forest of Death?" Hige and Toboe asked at the same time.

"Yeah, it's a really thick, dead forest that no human has even made it out of. I actually have been in there," Kawaii added, plucking feathers from her teeth.

"Is it scary?" Toboe asked curiously.

"Kind of. It's just really confusing. And there's this riddle owl there that is truly weird. The riddles don't make too much sense, but I can help you out with them if you want. I'm pretty good at puzzles."

I smiled. She was finding her self-esteem, and that was a big leap for her.

"Let's hope I won't have to rip it to shreds. I hate birds." Tsume growled.

We hung out there until after sunset. Kiba stood up and walked towards where we came in. "Let's go you guys. Tomorrow night is a full moon, so feel free to use your power now." We all took off, with Kiba, Tsume and I leading, while Hige, Kawaii and Toboe brought up the back. My paws felt great as I ran across the moonlit grass, stretching my muscles. My eyes were lit up and ready for adventure. I glanced over at Kawaii. Small, but she was keeping up well. Her bicolored eyes were excited as well. I could hear her and Toboe's bangle bracelets clanking in rhythm with our paws thudding through the park. Out of the corner of my eye, the scientist and the detective were holding hands as they walked away from the fountain where Kawaii had caught her bird. I felt happy for them, that they were feeling contented about each other, rather than broken and disconnected.

We ran for a long time, as a true pack once again. It felt like we had been separated for a long time. Happy tears flew out of the corners of my eyes as I raced across the ground with my pack members. Being a part of a family again felt so nice, so accommodating. I wanted to howl so badly, but I remembered Kawaii couldn't. I wondered, suddenly, how she would deal with tomorrow night.


	10. Chapter 8

I don't own Wolf's Rain, blah blah. You know the drill. Bones Studio does.

Here is another chapter! Thanks for reviewing, it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. :P THEY FINALLY GET CHEZA!

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Chapter 8

_Infiltrating the keep was not as easy now with so many tagalongs. Cheza's scent was stronger than ever now. My fur itself was excited. I read everyone else's expressions, and even bad-boy Tsume was eager to get inside. But we weren't expecting to get out so easily…_

I again was inside the doors, once more in the presence of Lord Darcia. Our misfit band of six trudged on, our claws clacking on the hard, black tile. It was deteriorated and old. I instantly changed into my human form and instructed the others to do the same with a glance. We coasted through the guard-free hallways. One thing did catch my eye though. I saw a stained glass portrait of a wolf howling. A white wolf…

I looked over at Kiba, but he didn't seem to notice. I shrugged and kept walking. Hige looked nervous, but still excited. Toboe was shaking in anticipation, his bangles jingling. Kawaii had her head down and she was mumbling to herself.

A shockwave of lunar flower smell whacked me as we were outside of the main room. "Cheza is here," Kiba bluntly announced, his eyes widening. He poked his head in the purplish room.

"Lord Darcia, there are wolves in the keep." The small female noble's small voice echoed eerily through the room. It bounced off of the blue and purple stained glass window the height of the room.

"I know…" Darcia rasped as he stood over Harmona's body. "My wolf's eye can feel it." He spun around as Kiba stood, fists clenched. Tsume stepped in after, followed by me, Hige, Toboe, and even Kawaii.

"We've come to take Cheza," Kiba strongly declared, "And we're not leaving without her."

Cheza's water filled orb was displayed in the air as she floated, asleep, in the center. I felt the pleasantly sickening wave of scent wash over me again, and I felt power, command. My hands clenched into fists and I curled my lip as I changed into wolf form. I saw Cheza's blind maroon eyes fly open and bubbles rose from her lips as one word tried to escape: Kiba.

As if on cue, Kiba leaped forth, shattering the silence. Darcia's infamous sword was pulled out yet again, and Kiba's left side brushed just enough to draw blood. He skidded on the floor and left claw marks. Cheza's delicate scream pierced the air, and I flinched, tense.

Darcia turned, and I saw he had the same cut on his face. I decided it was my turn to lash out. I charged forward, digging my claws in the tile and leaped up. Darcia threw me off easily, but my back claw grazed his neck, and I felt the bulge of the scar I had left before. The rough underneath of my paw pad must have just been enough to break it open again.

"Damned she-wolf, it is you again. And this time I will succeed on killing you." Darcia growled.

It was then Tsume jumped forward and closed in on his arm. Darcia was so surprised he dropped his sword, and it clashed on the tile. I limped over, for I had twisted my back leg on the landing. In my human form I bent to pick it up, but Darcia kicked it across the room.

"Just…go get the damn flower already!" Tsume hissed through a mouthful of Darcia.

I nodded, seeing he was having a tough time. Kiba was pressing his hand against the glass of the orb, and I saw that it was slowly draining. Hige stood at the buttons, guarding them. Funny, I never even saw him move.

I turned around and saw Darcia standing over Tsume, who he had pinned down with a sword at his throat. Toboe launched himself at Darcia, grabbing his cape. He gradually pulled him backwards into Hige, who pressed the fast-drain button. Kawaii was beginning to get into the dog pile, pulling at Darcia's boot with her teeth. Tsume had rolled out from underneath Darcia and was grappling with him, face to face. His muscles were flexing as he pushed Darcia back. His teeth were clenched as he struggled. Then Toboe gave his cape a good, hard yank, giving Tsume a second of space. He fell back, catching himself elegantly with his back foot.

Kawaii was helping undo Cheza's golden chains. She was wet and cold, but grasping onto Kiba tightly. Her delicate sightless eyes stared right at me. I couldn't help but be trapped in her gaze. Once the last chain was undone, she was free. Suddenly, the keep windows crackled and broke. I was standing right under the stained glass, still paralyzed. Darcia pushed me back and shielded Harmona's body. Glass rained on him, and I watched as some of this bloody wounds dripped onto her milky skin. Her purple eyes suddenly flew open and she grasped the bathtub-like bed she lay in. She screamed out as I watched in horror. I saw Kawaii turn around, her eyes wider than the moon itself.

Tsume yanked my arm as glass fell where I stood. He almost dragged me away. I couldn't help but think: Would he do that for me?

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" He shouted as I regained consciousness to the real world.

"It was…so sad…" was all I could manage. "He protected her, and she awoke, and glass rained on him. He was going to do whatever it took to protect her. Even if she was dead…"

"How sweet. Not get your ass moving! The keep is falling down and we're the last ones in line!" Tsume was beginning to get impatient. "Even the pair of runts are ahead of us."

I began to run faster, and I skidded around the corner to see a line of Jagura's guards. I knew it was them because I'd seen Orkham's troops, and Darcia didn't have an army. They reminded me of bees in the summertime, except with black armor. I scaled the wall and jumped over them with ease. Tsume did the same, and we tore out of there on all fours. We met up with the rest of the group outside, and made sure Cheza was alright. Then we left the crumbling keep with the maiden.

The sun was still supposed to be high in the sky, but black swirling clouds covered any light on the flipside. We high-tailed it out of there, but I couldn't get my mind off of Darcia and Harmona.

We camped out just outside the Forest of Death. The full moon shone so vibrantly and Cheza's scent was so strong, I felt more powerful than ever.

The scent clouded my mind, and I didn't even think about Kawaii. Cheza stood in the center of us all, looking straight up at the moon. We all did the same, except Kawaii. She looked down at her paws.

"Agh! I just want to howl my head off!" Tsume exclaimed. I laughed, covering my mouth with my hand. He smiled and chuckled a bit as well. Cheza began to spin, and we all ran in circles around her. Kawaii excluded herself from the activity and looked away.

Being in the presence of the maiden felt extraordinary, unlike anything real I had ever felt. It almost felt like a hoax, like a dream. The moon's endless cold light was happy, rather than it burning a hole in the black sky.

Kiba picked up the pace, and we began running in such a tight circle, we had to lean toward Cheza to actually keep balance. Then, when the moon was at maximum power, we slowed to a jog and stopped, as if it was a simple routine. Kiba titled his head first, then Toboe, Tsume, me, and Hige. We belted out a song so powerful, even the trees tuned in to listen. Then, mid howl, I opened my eyes to see Kawaii laying on a rock, back turned, and weeping. Her paws were clasped over her ears as if in horror. I wanted to stop, but couldn't. It was such a natural and instinctive thing to finish howling. You learn as a pup that ceasing mid-howl is both unholy and disrespectful to your ancestors.

I didn't really enjoy the rest of the howl. I felt sick almost. Watching that pup have to suffer was horrible. When we were finished, Cheza said elegantly, "This one wonders where Paradise is."

"I do too. I wonder that every day…" Toboe replied, almost to no one.

"And what it looks like…" Hige added, fading away into dreamland.

Cheza began to sing softly.

_Shailoh Shailoh, yatreet ka..._

Somehow, my eyelids dropped.

_Shailoh shna.. otvit ka..._

_Hahla Hahla.. ahlah hah..._

_Shailoh washnee fortee ney..._

I fell into a deep sleep, and heard the other wolf's bodies dropping around me as the soothing blackness enclosed around me.

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Ahhh...*head drops on keyboard as I listen* tfcgryxncjhkalgy84nj

Well. Another chapter finished, and they JUST found Cheza. Wow, I really need to pick it up.

Helpful info from :

Cheza's Lullaby (English Lyrics)

Great Wolf, Great Wolf, you're safe. Great Wolf, I will protect you. *humming* Great Wolf, rest your soul. Great Wolf, Great Wolf, you're safe. Give in to sleep. Great Wolf, Great Wolf, you're safe. Great Wolf, I will protect you. *humming* Great Wolf, rest your soul.  
The song is sung in Gaelic. One of the lost languages, people do still speak it but it is not considered a language anymore sad cause it is beautiful.

(Post from Darkstarwulf on )

Thanks! ~ticklishpaws


	11. Chapter 9

Love is in the air...and so are bugs! I don't own Wolf's Rain Bones Studio does.

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Chapter 9

_We emerge into the Forest of Death. Clothed in items from the merchant bought by Hige and Toboe, Cheza is with us. Kawaii looks less depressed, but still carried those black clouds around her head. Kiba is antsy, and quick to make decisions._

The trees are thick, looming over our heads. The place is deserted, free of any life. A few bones litter the earth, and that really enhances the fact that its name is the Forest of Death.

"Wait a minute, Paradise Boy." Hige panted. "I'm starving, and also, weren't we just here?"

"You're always hungry, Porky," laughed Tsume. Kiba didn't answer. He kept on walking forward with Cheza on his back.

"Hey, I'm hungry too! Will you go with me to look for food, Tsume?" Toboe excitedly asked.

"No," replied Tsume. "Take your girlfriend with you." Kawaii looked up. She smiled, blushed, and agreed that she would go with him.

"Aw, how sweet." Hige teased. Toboe was blushing and motioning for Kawaii to follow him. Tsume gave the father-son 'thumbs-up-my-boy' grin sarcastically. Toboe turned around and he and Kawaii went into the woods.

Kiba set Cheza on a large root and sat next to her. She suddenly collapsed, gasping for air. "Cheza!" Kiba exclaimed, bending over to catch her. "Are you okay?"

"This one…is fine. But there is no sunlight…to bask," she whispered.

"Ah, great. One day after we get the damn flower she's dying!" Hige whispered to me, a little loudly. I smiled sympathetically, because I knew he'd get an earful from Kiba. And I was right.

"Excuse me?" Kiba stood up snarling. The fur on his back was bristling angrily. "Who in the Hell do you think you're talking to?!"

Hige was speechless as he blushed and lowered his big head. "That's right, omega. Stay where you belong in this pack." Kiba evilly hissed. I stepped in this time.

"Hey! You can't just push Hige around like that! You are not the profound leader in this pack. And I know I have called Porky here an omega before, but that was only a joke. You've taken it too far; let this entire thing run through your head. Get it together Kiba, act like you give a damn." I defended. Hige gave me a thankful sideways glance.

Kiba obviously wasn't finished. As I was looking down at Hige, Kiba leaped forward and pinned me down. It knocked the air out of my lungs as his snarling face appeared in view. "Are you saying that you don't want to go to Paradise with us, bitch?"

My green eyes widened angrily. I knew the correct terminology for a female canine is bitch, but I lost it at this point. I lashed out at Kiba's neck and ripped off fur. His paws dug into my shoulder blades and he stood his ground. My claws grazed his pure white face. I caught him on the muzzle and he went for my exposed neck. Tsume rammed his whole body into Kiba and threw him off.

"Stop fighting!" Cheza shrieked.

Tsume turned towards her and stepped ruefully off of Kiba. I stood, a little dirty, but otherwise fine, at the head of the pack with my fists clenched. A breeze blew gently through the silence. In this breeze, Hige picked up an extremely faint scent: an owl.

"I think this might be the riddle owl Kawaii was talking about." I said to nobody in particular.

"Hm." Kiba grunted, I think in agreement. Just then, Toboe came into the clearing dragging Kawaii behind her. They were covered in green goop. Toboe bent over panting for a moment and then spoke.

"Bugs…in a cave over there, and they're huge! Water…I think is on the other…side. Those bugs are…angry now." He wheezed.

"Yeah. There's also a bunch of wolf-eating plants over there too. But I know it. I smelled water on the other side." Kawaii had caught her breath and was breathing easy now.

"Well that must mean we need to go there then," Kiba declared, looking over at Cheza. "Come on. We need to leave now, before the sun sets."

He grabbed Cheza and let her ride on his shoulders. Little did we know, and owl was watching from a nearby tree. And that we would have to fight those bugs, or die trying.

Once we arrived at the mouth of the cave, Cheza was slumped over Kiba's head, her little delicate fingers in his thick almost black hair. He walked her in and set her down on a tall ledge. "Do not move, Cheza. We will be okay."

Then we saw them: the monstrous bugs, the size of small dogs. I hated bugs anyway, but these? I almost lost the little food in my stomach.

Toboe jumped out first, splitting the beetle in half with his paw. Green liquid spewed all over him. Tsume jumped in next, scaring up about four. I head-butted one as it was flying at me, and it hit me like a stone. I shook my head quickly as the bug fell to the floor. I felt the anticipation to fight.

I sprung forward, the same time as Hige, and we both mauled about three bugs. They were getting angry, and now we were all fighting. Kawai was jumping up and down on a bug carcass as it crunched. She had a glint of competition in her eyes, especially the brown one. Soon, most of the bugs were finished off, and we had minor cuts and bruises. About forty beetles remained.

"Are us wolves really going to be beat by a bunch of bugs?" Tsume asked, curling his lips into a determined smile.

"Though I must admit, we both like to hang around flowers," Toboe pointed out.

"Nicely said, runt." Hige agreed, and we all charged forward.

Cheza suddenly jumped from her place on the ledge, into the pile of bugs. "This one…can help too." She panted.

As she led the bugs, we all chased ruthlessly after her. "Cheza!" Kiba yelled.

"Stop! Look what she's doing…" Tsume pointed out that Cheza had led the remaining bugs into a group of bug-eating plants. Kiba walked over to her, worried.

"Do not fret. This one is fine." She replied. Kiba sighed, relieved.

"Thank goodness," he breathed. I saw the vines crawling up her silky white face. We needed to find water soon, but it was too dark to see anything.

The whole pack slept in that formerly bug infested cave that night. It was chilly, but we were closer to water. I couldn't sleep, my eyes weren't even tired. I glanced over as I heard someone getting up.

It was Tsume. He walked over to me and nudged me. "I'm awake." I whispered.

"Good. Come here for a second," he motioned for me to get up. I did, curiously following him. He led me to a secret part of the cave where a sliver of moonlight illuminated the two of us and looked me straight in the eyes.

"This is going to sound really stupid from me." He sighed. "But I hope you listen."

I blinked in agreement and tilted my ahead up and slowly down. "Fire away." I said. He pushed me up against the cold, rocky side of the cave. I breathed in sharply as he whispered, "Naomi...I love you. I need to ask of you to be my forever mate." I was so surprised at such a romantic question able to come out of him. But an atomic bomb if happiness was dropped on my heart. "Yes Tsume. I will. I will be the one to look out for you and the she-wolf to tell everything to. I have had a thing for you since I first saw you. And I have since wanted to do this," I whispered as my soft lips met his warm ones. That kiss was long and wonderful, tasting like love. I pulled away to say one last thing: "I know I will always love you, Tsume."

I got closer to him and kissed him more. I ran my fingers through his hair as his body warmly pressed against mine. His foot kicked my ankle, sending me to the floor. He sat me up and stared into my soul and whispered, "You're all mine."


	12. Chapter 9 12

**A/N: Sorry it took me so long to post a chapter! My computer was jacked up and we sent it away for three whole days! I had to type 75% of this on my iPod under notes. Hope you like! This chapter is Blue's POV, if some have been waiting for her. :)**

**And please review**!

I don't own Wolf's Rain, Bones Studio does.

Chapter 9 (and-a-half): Blue's POV

_Walking through the cold city streets with the old man was nice, almost tranquil. I'd been with Pops since Russ brought me home. As we walk, the guards eye us suspiciously. They lash out, and that changes my life forever…_

The streets were cold and slick with ice. There had been a spill of the water supply truck and it had been so cold that it froze.

At the other end of my brown leather leash was Quent, or Pops as I call him. His dull gray eyes light up a little as he looks down at me. He rubs his temple and stumbles over to a steel bench and parks himself there. He lets out a sigh and takes a long swig from his vodka bottle concealed by a ratty old paper bag.

I hate it when he drinks. It's not doing him any good, or solving his problems. If anything, it's ruining him. But I guess I can't do much about it. I mean, I know it's not good for him, but I guess that it's his pain reliever when he thinks about Mama and Russ.

Russ. He was my little boy, my best friend back in Kurios. I grew up with him. He was the one who convinced Pops to keep me. It was the best thing that ever happened to him, too. I don't mean to boast, but I keep the lonely old man company. He has me chasing wolves all over the city, and I guess that keeps me on my toes, too. He tells me that they are the servants of death, the ones who killed Mama and Russ. The ones who burned our farm down.

I don't know if that is necessarily true, but I do my best and try my hardest to keep him safe from them. He's armed with a gun, while I'm armed with what my mother gave me: strong teeth, long legs, and sharp eyes.

Pops was leaned back, his hat tipped over his face. The bottle in his hand was still gripped. My leash however, was not. I decided that I'd do Pops a favor and toss that foul-smelling drug out. I took the bottle in my teeth and quietly walked away. I had to screw up my nose to keep most of the stench out. I stood on my hind legs to throw it away when I smelled them. Wolves. I growled, low in my throat and turned to run back to Pops, when a shot went off. It recoiled off of my collar, snapping it in two. I then felt a sharp pain in my side as a bullet punctured it. Blood sprayed and I yelped, echoing off of the walls in the alley nearby. Pops sat up and ran to me as I fell downwards.

"Blue!" He shouted, kneeling over. He looked up at a soldier, one of a different troop. He looked like an ant. But with a gun.

Pops gave him a mean look, but the man lifted up his mask and tried to explain. "Sir, this is a wolf you have with you. I hope you are aware that Lord Jagura has ordered our troops to kill―"

"That's _my_ damn job! Now get the hell out of here!" Pops was angry, looking down at me and then back at the soldier. He pulled out his clunky rifle and aimed it at the man.

"I understand you are upset sir. I will leave you and your dog," the man finally agreed, sighing. He was awfully kind for one of Jagura's troop members. Pops lowered his gun and looked me straight in the eyes. I was bleeding badly, all out of my left side. I felt weaker than I'd felt in a long time, not since I'd eaten that rat poisoning back on the farm.

Suddenly, Pops got up and ran off. He looked back, motioning for me to stay. I looked at him sarcastically almost. "Where else am I supposed to go?" I muttered under my breath.

I was in that alley for quite some time when I realized I was feeling better. I tried to stand, and I saw my bleeding had stopped. I stood up and tried to walk away, but limped instead. I walked through the city slowly. I walked until the break of dawn, and then I smelled them again; the wolves were close. I also smelled thick forest. And a beautiful flower scent…

After a long way of traveling, I reached the edge of the dome. I saw the girl then, the one I'd smelled a long time ago. I also saw the wolves, six of them running happily to the moon, which filled up the sky. I watched them, feeling happy, excited. My paws itched and my heart longed for that.

The spark in their eyes were tremendous, even the gray one's. He was running close to the female wolf I'd met before. They looked so happy together.

I then saw the shadow, the airship above them.

I watched in horror as it lowered down, and the man stepped out. He had that smug look on his face. They all stopped in their tracks. Lasers, hot and red, flashed violently out of the ship, sending them all flying. The pink haired girl screamed as blood from the wolves splattered on the earth. I felt it in my ears.

My heart stopped, and I felt as if I was watching a movie when the girl walked over to each wolf and whispered quietly in their ears. The white one sat up and licked her face, caring. She was then surrendered by force to the man. He sat maniacally in his little swivel chair as he flew away.

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Nee hee hee! Evil little swivel chair!

I wrote that chapter really fast. I think it's so so.

I will attempt to post a few chapters before this weekend. Thank you guys for all of the continued support! It makes me feel inspired to do more of my story for you guys. :)

~ticklishpaws


	13. Chapter 10

I don't own Wolf's Rain. Bones Studio does. :P

Here's Chapter 10!

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Chapter 10

_A little sore, all six of us lay in an abandoned warehouse. I cuddled sleepily on Tsume's broad chest, his heartbeat a soothing lullaby. He had his hands behind his head, trying to sleep. Suddenly, a girl barges in the door, kicking up dust…_

I could feel Tsume's warm skin under my hands. We were now mates, and I felt as close as ever to him now. I suddenly twitched, and began to roll off of him. I yelped as I landed on the floor, though not a long way, but on a tough wound on my lower back. Tsume looked down at me with a puzzled but rough look on his face.

I smiled and sat up. I glanced over to see Hige running his thick fingers through his even thicker jungle of hair. Kiba sat with his back turned to the pack while Toboe sat cross-legged next to Hige. Kawaii was sprawled out with her head in her elbows, stomach to the floor. Her hair fell over her shoulders and brushed the concrete floor. It was silent.

Kiba stirred a little, and Hige sat up. "I know we've been through a crap ton of stuff you guys, but why all the pouting? We lived, right?" He tried to lighten up the mood, but only was angering himself by getting worked up.

"Well I couldn't sleep. I had such a restless night last night that my eyeballs are practically melting out of my head, that's why." Kawaii answered. We were all a little shocked by her answer being so fierce. She didn't seem fazed by it, though. She just sat, staring at the corner with her back away from us.

"You of course, slept like a freakin' rock. Food, sleep, and chicks, Hige. That's what you crave." I growled halfheartedly. I was tired as well, and starving. My stomach growled to remind me.

"Listen. I know we're all dazed and crap, but I mean, that's not going to help us think about what we're going to do now," Hige said. I had to admit, he had a strong point, there. "Are we going to just sit here and rot in this warehouse forever? Somebody say something dammit!" He pounded his fist on the steel bar, making a clanging noise.

His rant had me a little attentive, honestly. I agreed with all he said.

"Kiba! You haven't spoken a word to any of us since it all happened." Hige was pushing it now. This stuff was kind of personal, especially for Kiba.

"Just drop it." Tsume groaned, propping his knee up.

"Yeah, Hige. Leave him alone, he was the one who was hurt the worst, remember?" Toboe stood up for Kiba, his little voice alert.

Kiba was surprisingly calm. "Well, it's not that. I'm just really pissed off." His face curled gently into a snarl.

We all sat for a moment, and then we heard footsteps; it sounded as if they were running. I sat up and inhaled deeply. It was the hunter's dog! She had made it out of the city!

I saw her slide into the warehouse, kicking up dust. She stood, triumphantly at the head of the pack. She was older than all of us, yet Hige still drooled like a dog. "What a babe…" I heard him whisper. Three wannabe gangsters ran in after her, and I heard them asking her if she still wanted work.

"Y'know, there's a high demand for young bodies in this town…" One was saying, patting his iron tool. "People will pay top dollar for healthy organs," another chimed in.

"You really think that we're gonna give you our bodies?" Tsume growled, launching himself at the man.

It was cute how they thought they were tough. And we showed their asses we were tougher as soon as we lunged at their baby-skinned throats and growled in their faces. I had the one with the dreadlocks pinned down, staring into his frightened eyes. I showed him all of my white teeth, and resisted the urge to bite him right there. I sprung off of him and gave him a mean glare. They all took off running, not looking back. I smirked and glanced over at Tsume. He also was sneering at the stupid humans. We all went outside wordlessly, including Blue.

We parked ourselves at a garbage heap. Tsume was laughing, and I felt his rough, deep laugh in my chest. "Did you see that stupid look on their faces?"

"This is rare," I joked, "Tsume is actually laughing."

He looked over at me with a sarcastic grin on his face. I could tell he totally wanted to tackle me right there. But we were acting cool in front of the girl.

"You okay, Kiba?" Toboe asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks for asking." Kiba replied.

"Are _you_ alright?" Hige asked Blue.

"Yeah…thanks for helping me back there." She replied, shoving her hands in her pockets. Her blackish hair was styled a little wild, but I liked it. Her eyes were a bright blue, and her skin about the same shade as mine; bronze, kissed by the sun.

"We didn't do that for _you, _y'know. Those idiots just happened to catch us in a bad mood is all." Tsume growled.

"Hey, she was only thanking us." I said to Tsume. "Just relax."

He scowled.

"Hey, um, my name's Hige," Hige introduced himself, blushing. I think I, at the time, was the only one who knew Blue's name because I'd heard the old man call her that. She smiled kindly at me before she replied.

"My name is…" she looked to the side and replied quietly, "It's Blue." She paused, and then looked up at Kiba and I. "It's been a minute, hasn't it?"

Hige looked puzzled as I nodded again to Blue, waving. "Wait a minute, you girls know each other?"

"Yeah, kind of," I replied.

"You did some pretty nasty thing to us when we were in Freeze City, you know. When you were with that man." Kiba said.

"Yeah, that old guy. Where is he now?" Toboe asked.

Blue simply answered, "We got split up. Something I don't know happened and, well I moved through the city on my own. One of Jagura's troop members mistook me for a wolf, and shot at me."

"But you are a wolf, right?" Toboe asked, cocking his head. Blue was silent for a moment, and then her face lit up. She didn't answer, but asked another question.

"Hey, that girl, the one that was traveling with you, is she still with you? You know that one with the really nice scent?"

"The girl? You mean Cheza, right?" Toboe clarified.

"Cheza…?" Blue trailed off.

"Well, erm…" I started, grinding my shoe in the dust.

"Yeah, um, let's just say that's a 'tender subject' with us…heh," Hige said, scratching his head. "On another note, who's hungry? I mean, we haven't eaten in a while, so…and there's a mess of danger for a girl like you in a town like this."

"No way, Porky." Tsume groaned and stood up.

"And why is that?" Hige spun around, clenching his fists.

"As _if_ I'd ever hang with her. She was doing everything she possibly could to stalk us. She wanted to kill us, you don't understand that."

"Yeah, but…"

"You're only standing up for her because she didn't harm you." Toboe said, crossing his arms.

"Well you know what?" I stood up, brushing myself off. "She attacked me in the beginning. I am not holding any sort of grudge against her because I know how hard it is sometimes. To be a she-wolf, I mean. It's tough. And she just met us. Don't give her such a cold shoulder, I mean, it took a minute for me to warm up to you brutes. I'm much happier here than where I was before. I think Blue will feel the same way if she wants to. She has her say, you have yours, and I have mine. I vote yes." I put my hands on my hips and looked Blue in the eyes, which seemed to brighten up with thanks.

"Naomi has the right idea," Hige agreed.

Blue began to walk away as she spat over her shoulder, "Thanks, but I don't really want to hang out with a bunch of rowdy boys. You're pretty nice though." I could see her heart hurt a little as she walked away. She just wanted to clear her head. I was almost sure she would come back.

Hige trailed her, protesting. Tsume grabbed my arm and I plopped down next to him. I brushed my bangs out of my face. Toboe sat upright and began to walk off, suddenly. Before anyone could ask, he decided, "I'm going to go find Hige."

Tsume was going to say something, but I put my finger to his lips. "He'll come back and probably with a heartbroken Hige. Just let the kid go." He rolled his eyes, and sat back, looking up at the pinkish clouds set in the orange sky. I put a hand on his scarred chest as we looked up at the sky. Kiba sat back as well. Kawaii was asleep on an old garbage can.

"She was exhausted." I whispered, looking over at her little black paws sprawled out over the steel trashcan. Her eyes were sealed and she was deep in slumber. Kiba was on the other side of the trash heap, silent. I ran my hand down Tsume's scarred face.

"I love you." I whispered, planting a kiss on his hand, which met mine as we stared into the sky.

* * *

NAAWWW... So sweet.

I don't really know what to say so...CHERRIES!


	14. Chapter 11

Okay, I tried to bring a little bit of humor into this chapter, but I think it's kind of weak. We're leading up to something good though, I promise. If you know, don't spoil it, PLEASE! But I doubt you will. :P

I don't own Wolf's Rain, Bones Studio does.

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Chapter 11

_When Toboe returned, he had Hige with him. Blue had also came back with them and decided to travel with us, since she couldn't go back to the wolf hunter now that she had found the wolf within her. Hige had gotten lucky this time. We stopped at some old folk's trailer to eat, and they were very nice. And the old man knew we were wolves…_

As we walked through the plains, and what looked like the desert, it was quiet. We all just kind of kept to ourselves, walking, and sand whipping up in our faces. Kawaii looked well-rested and ready to continue, which I was glad about. Tsume was still avoiding Blue, but was more tolerant about her.

Hige shielded Blue as we walked, but she didn't need it. She was strong, and it showed. She had to fend for herself after being abandoned, and she was doing a pretty good job about it. She hid her emotions like a magician hiding his tricks.

After a while, it got annoying with my long hair whipping around in the wind. I was the only one with seriously long hair in my human and wolf form, so I searched the pockets of my cardigan and found a girly blue hair tie with frills and crap pasted all over it. I remember Collyn getting it for my tenth human birthday. I missed Collyn a little. Him being gone though is kind of normal because I was apart from him for years.

I looked at the rubber band blowing around in the wind and decided to pluck the stuff off of it. Then, I used it to pull up my curly bronze hair up in a ponytail. My bangs still fell down on my face, but I brushed them away.

Everyone was staring at me, kind of confused. "What?" I asked, shrugging my shoulders.

"Nothing, um, it's just that…uh, you look really pretty with your hair up." Toboe stammered, blushing. I also blushed and ran my fingers through my bang like a comb.

"Thanks, Toboe. That was kind of you to say," I finally replied. He smiled and looked at the ground while he walked.

"I'm surprised Tsume didn't just blurt out that she looks totally sexy." Hige said aloud. I spun around and glared at him. Tsume widened his eyes at the comment.

"Shut the hell up, Porky, I know you think she looks that way." Tsume's face was so red it was hard not to laugh. Kawaii bit her lip as we trudged on. I could tell he wanted to say something else snappy, but he held his tongue.

"Because you always think she's sexy, man. Admit it." Hige was giggling like a little school girl. That's when I stepped in.

"Oh can it, momma's boy. You've got a girl of your own to call sexy." I snarled jokingly. Blue almost looked offended, and then she burst out laughing. I started laughing, and Hige was still laughing. Kiba almost started laughing, too, but he had to keep it together for the sake of the pack.

After that was over, Tsume's face was still really red. "Oh, it's okay bad boy. You know I still love you," I whispered as we pressed on through the less dusty plain. He smiled and grasped onto my hand.

"You do look hot with your hair up." He admitted, smiling slyly. I chuckled, and it was then we settled down near a crumbling rock formation for the night.

I was starving. My stomach growled so loudly, even deep-sleeper Kawaii could hear it. She opened one eye. "You're almost as bad as Hige." She groggily pointed out. I chuckled and clutched my stomach to stop the roaring.

She turned over and curled up tighter. I wondered why I was so hungry, especially since we'd eaten the chicken from the elderly people's trailer. Suddenly, I felt a wave of exhaustion wash over me. I sighed heavily and sat back. I immediately fell asleep, and had a dreamless night. Toboe woke me up the next morning. I was reluctant to get up at first, and felt a little queasy as I sat up. I tried not to let it show through, though. I stood up and shook my head.

_'Just keep walking,' _I told myself over and over again. I was really hungry by the time we were on the road again. We were walking through the flatlands, and after we traveled for a while, it began to get colder. The sun was slowly setting in the sky, and just as I was about to ask, Kiba took the words right out of my mouth.

"Are you guys getting colder, or is it just me?"

"I was just about to say that!" I exclaimed, smiling at him. "But yeah, I am a little cold. I'm not complaining though."

"Yeah, I can't feel it too much through my fur," Blue agreed. "But I bet it's like thirty or forty degrees Fahrenheit out here." Her tail wagged as she walked, and I could tell she didn't regret her choice of traveling with us.

It had been two weeks since we lost Cheza, and Tsume and I had become mates. I kind of missed being in Cheza's presence, because it made me feel empowered, but I did notice that Kawaii felt was a little happier than when Cheza was here. I assumed it was the lack of howling that we were doing.

I looked at her and thought about her and her past. It was kind of sad that she had to watch her human die back in the last time we were in the keep, while her owner was being shielded and protected by her arch nemesis as well as mine: Darcia.

"We're going to walk through the night since we stopped last time." Kiba announced. "The moon is waxing, and there's at least some light." He snapped me back to reality as we pushed forward.

"Where exactly are we going?" Blue asked.

"In general or just right now?" Kawaii asked, looking up at her.

"Um, both I guess," she decided.

"Well, all of us are headed to Paradise above all," Kawaii explained.

"Paradise? What's that?" she inquired.

"It's a place where every wolf tries to get to," Hige clarified.

"Oh, well where is Kiba dragging us to now, at his moment?" Blue asked again.

"Darcia's keep, once again," Toboe cut in. "We've already been."

"And it's the third time for Kiba and I," I added. Blue widened her eyes.

"Darcia is that noble, right?" She asked. "Sorry I'm asking so many questions. I'm just curious."

"Yeah," Tsume, Toboe and I answered at the same time.

"First word that bully's said to me at all that hasn't been rude," Blue muttered, casting a glare over at Tsume. He returned the gaze, harder.

"Oh, he's not too bad. He hardly showed me too much emotion when I first met him," I prodded Blue. She tried to grin, but it only ended up as a snarl to Tsume again.

We pressed on through the night with an angry Tsume and a griping Blue. And I sat right in the middle of it, like an annoyed big sister.


	15. Chapter 12

Big surprise in this one.

I don't own Wolf's Rain, Bones Studio does.

* * *

Chapter 12

_As we move on, getting closer to the keep where I've been so many times, I'm so tired and hungry, it's like I'm almost human. I try to keep it to myself but I keep getting sicker and sicker. I don't know what it is until Blue points it out to me…I should have known._

It snowed as we were walking. There was a huge climate change, and I think it had to do with the world ending or something. Mother Earth wanted to dish out her worst weather before she couldn't any longer.

Blue and Tsume didn't argue too much; Toboe kept that to a minimum. I was really hungry and tired by the time the sun rose. Kawaii was trying to keep me up towards the front near Kiba, but I only fell farther behind. I felt so heavy, like blocks were dragging my paws down. Once in the trek, I collapsed, and Tsume ran over to me.

"Are you alright?" He asked, grabbing my arm to steady me.

"Yeah, I just…" I gasped for air. "I just tripped is all. I'm fine."

"No you're not. Kiba we need to stop," Toboe shouted at our headstrong leader. Kiba spun around to see me, leaned over and wheezing.

"I said I'm fine, okay? I just…it's just…" I protested, much like a child.

"No. We should stop up there at that snowy overhang. You do not look good right now, Naomi. Trust me, you need to rest." Kiba agreed, coming back to help me stand. I gave in, and relaxed all of my muscles. I let them drag me over to the cave like a wounded soldier, and I let them set ne down as the wind raged with snow outside.

"Hige, I need you and Tsume to go hunt. She needs food," Kiba ordered. Tsume nodded and began to walk towards the door, while Hige looked confused and in disbelief. He put his hands out as if to clarify.

"But…but why? Can't you do it? There's zilch food out here!" Hige complained, trying to weasel out of it. Blue crunched his foot with her boot. He squealed and bit his lip. She smiled, satisfied and shooed him off playfully.

"Listen, Hige. I would hunt if I could. Really, I would but they're shutting me in. So just please do it. I'll let you have 25% of what you catch of mine," I told him. "You're not just hunting for me Hige. You're showing the pack how reliable you can be. Now please, be a man and go out there and kill something."

He rolled his eyes and sighed loudly. "Fine. But it's not a guarantee that we'll catch anything."

"Come on, Porky." Tsume groaned from the door, tapping his foot impatiently. I mouthed 'thank you' to both of them as they left into the cold winter air.

Suddenly, from behind, I saw light. Blue had lit a few matches she had in her coat pocket, and they were stuck in a snowball. I looked around at the remaining wolves: Kiba, Blue, Kawaii, and Toboe. Blue sat down on a rock and was looking at the storm outside. It was quiet, and then I had an idea.

"Want me to finish telling the story about my brother, Ricochet?" I asked.

"Sure, but I haven't heard your full backstory yet," Toboe leaned in a bit as I sat up. Kawaii also was a little more intent as well as Blue and Kiba.

"Well I grew up in a little side forest near Kurios, and―" I began, but Blue interrupted me.

"Wait, you're from Kurios?" She was staring at me excitedly.

"Yeah, are you?" I asked.

"Yes! I grew up there with Pops, and Russ and Mama. We all lived in a farmhouse with lots of land, until a fire destroyed it. I miss those days…" she trailed off. "But this is your story. Go ahead."

So I told the story again and stopped at the Ricochet part. "I cried over his absence for days, but then was excited to learn that my mother was pregnant with another pup. When Collyn arrived two months later, he looked nothing like me or Mother. He was a dusty gray, kind of a buff color like on cats. He had a white chest and a gray tail. He was the most peculiar looking wolf pup I'd ever seen.

"Later that year, when he was old enough to follow me into the woods, we went to the stream to drink. We watched the fish dance in the water over the purplish pebbled bottom. Then, he smelled smoke. 'What is that nasty stink, Nai-ai?' he had asked in his squeak of a voice. I was frozen with dread, and just scooped him up in my jaws without answering his question. When we arrived at the den, the forest behind it was engulfed in flames. I took off running in the opposite direction, in the midst of a stampede of wolves and other forest animals. I saw my mother and aunt up ahead, and ran faster, my yearling legs melting away into adult speed. I ran into wolf after wolf and some more until I got to my mother. I tried to block out the cries of agony sounding behind us, of slower animals being scorched in the flames. We made it out alive, but after that we were less fortunate. A tornado whipped through five months later and separated me from everyone else. I discovered my human form and walked for miles on end to Freeze City. And that is where my journey began." I exhaled loudly and looked at the faces around me.

"Whoa," Toboe breathed.

"I'm so sorry," Blue commented. I was just about to reply when I leaned over and threw up on the snow floor of the cave. It was so unexpected, and mostly bile.

I looked up and felt emptier than ever. "I'm sorry," I whispered.

"It's okay. Just get some rest, okay?" Kawaii comforted me with her smile. I leaned back slowly and I was shaking. What could this possibly be?

I fell asleep, and colors danced in my head. It was too short to be a dream though. Just happy colors and simple colors.

"Naomi," Blue whispered. I opened my eyes. "I've been thinking, and I know what you have."

"What is it?" I asked, sitting up. Everyone else was asleep, and the boys weren't back yet. "Tell me how to cure it."

"You can't cure it," Blue told me with a half grin on her face.

"What is it then?" I asked excitedly.

"You're pregnant."

My jaw dropped to sea level as I realized. I should have freaking known.

"I'm pregnant…" I repeated, in pure shock.

What a ride this is going to be.

* * *

:O

GASP! That's the big ol' surprise right there! Naomi's preggers!

Well then there you have it!:3

DUN DUN DUUUN!

:P


	16. AN: Holiday Hold-Up

**A/N: Holiday Hold-Up**

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**THIS IS NOT A REAL CHAPTER! (sorry, mini-chapter, please don't take offense)**

Okay, so first of all, hello, Happy Holidays. I am so glad you guys (and girls) are reviewing and simply reading my stories, it makes me feel so loved. :) But anyway, this is an A/N to say that I'll be taking a little break from the story until technically 'next year'. I might post a chapter before then, but one of my New Year's resolutions will be to type more stories! Yes, I left it off at a cliffhanger, but I have writer's block and can't get to writing the next POV, and the holiday hustle and bustle and getting presents for my family and friends. And of course, hoping for presents myself. But I will be sketching and drawing and all of that fun stuff. I might possibly maybe get a deviantART account soon, but that's not a promise. I'm just hoping, and then a tablet, and the list goes on...

But overall, thanks for reading and reviewing. And waiting. :P

Happy Holidays,

~ticklishpaws


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